3 minute read
Grapevine
Understanding Virginia’s “Natural Wine”
Natural wine is a trendy term in the wine industry. It certainly hits several items on the hipster bucket-list. Some claim that it’s healthier for you than regular wine (unlikely to be true). Natural wine is often confused with organic wine (not the same, but somewhat in the ballpark). While there is some overlap with biodynamic, natural wine doesn’t necessarily have to be biodynamic. So if it’s none of those things…what is ”natural” wine?
The U.S. wine industry has struggled with this question because – unlike organic wine – there is no legal definition for the term ‘natural wine’. It’s also unfair to imply that conventional making is somehow ‘unnatural’, or that organic automatically means ‘good for you’, further adding to the confusion.
So lacking a U.S. definition, France’s adoption of the term vin méthode nature is a good starting point. Introduced in 2019, French wines utilizing this label must adhere to the following standards: • Low (maximum 30 ppm) or no sulfites (with separate logos for both options) • No additives (except for sulfur) in the wine cellar or
“brutal” treatments • Only indigenous yeast fermentation is allowed • Grapes must be organically farmed and hand-picked
But even France’s wine industry admits this is more of a marketing term that qualified producers are allowed to post on their label, not an official certification for ‘natural wine’. Moreover, pinning down specific criteria may miss the point. As natural wine expert Alice Feiring once said, “In my heart of hearts, I just don’t think natural wine is certifiable”.
So rather than think of natural wine as a product, think of it as more of a philosophy how wine can be made. As winemaker Ben Jordan of Early Mountain Vineyards explained, “It seems to me that the market accepts something as natural when a wine checks most of those boxes, and when the character of the wine fits the overall ethos, but since there is no certification, there are no hard and fast rules.”
The Natural Winemakers of Virginia
Lacking a U.S. standard to go by, several Virginia wineries – including Arterra Wines in Delaplane, Briede Family Vineyards in Winchester, and Rock Roadhouse Vineyards in Hot Springs, have created their own approaches to natural wine. While they diverge in individual areas such as their use of sulfites, natural yeast fermentation, or farming practices, their overall approaches are very much in tune with the ethos of natural winemaking.
Rock Roadhouse’s method addresses the use of sulfites - perhaps the most divisive aspect in defining natural winemaking. Sulfites have gotten a bad rap for years as it’s often (inaccurately) blamed for ‘wine headaches’ (blame your 5th glass of cabernet for those), but in reality it’s often naturally present in wine.
Sulfites have been an important ingredient in winemaking since at least Roman times, acting as a preservative by preventing oxidation and defeating unwanted bacteria. But sulfites also kill non-hostile microbes. Add too much and you can remove the natural features which makes a wine truly terroir-driven – the antithesis of what natural winemaking is all about.
Owner Bob Donze addresses this through the use of specialized equipment which protects against oxidation and using a special yeast called “Alpha” which slows the fermentation process, tactics which help him minimize or sometimes skip the use of sulfites. His location in the mountains also allows him to limit the use of pesticides, in line with the philosophy behind natural winemaking.
Jason Murray of Arterra Wines is one of the most wellknown ‘natural wine’ makers in
